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A one-time leading Bronx priest is suing the Archdiocese of New York for libel, claiming the sex abuse allegations he once faced are false, and that church officials knew it when they repeated them in a public news release.
In his court filing, Charles Kavanaugh says his chief accuser recanted allegations he made in 2002 that Kavanaugh molested him when he was a teen during a church trip to Washington, D.C. "The statement was not true, and I apologize for it," one-time accuser Daniel Donohue wrote in a sworn statement submitted in federal court.
Donohue had claimed Kavanaugh jumped into his bed in the D.C.-area hotel room and rubbed against him. Donohue also said that when Kavanaugh held his hands during prayer, it made him uncomfortable.
"The pointed finger has come back. He has withdrawn the only allegation against Monsignor Kavanaugh," said Kavanaugh’s attorney John Dearie.
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For 10 years, Kavanaugh fought to clear his name. He originally filed a lawsuit against Donohue but dropped it after Donohue admitted his story about what happened 30 years ago was false. Kavanaugh was convicted at a church trial.
In May, Catholic Church spokesman Joseph Zwilling said in a news release that Kavanaugh deserved to be kicked out of the church because there were "multiple counts" of sexual abuse.
"That is a flat-out lie. There are not multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor," said Kavanaugh’s sister and attorney Ann Mandt. "And that’s why we sued them. Because it is a lie." Zwilling said Wednesday that church attorneys are now reviewing the defamation lawsuit.
"I stand by the truthfulness and accuracy of my May 1, 2012, statement," he said. Kavanaugh had been vicar of development for the Catholic Church in New York and served for more than 40 years as a priest. His last post was head of St. Raymond’s Church in the Bronx before he was kicked out and convicted in a secret church trial.
For the last decade, Kavanaugh has called allegations against him "false" and repeatedly has demanded a "full and fair hearing" in public. His attorneys say they in part blame former Cardinal Egan, who they said was under scrutiny for allegations he mishandled abuse charges by other priests when he led the church in Connecticut.
Kavanaugh lost his job, his home and his pension and now counts on friends' help and support in Florida where he now lives. His one-time accuser Donohue did not return calls for comment.
Kavanaugh’s lawsuit seeks damages against the archdiocese and Zwilling, as well as the "Catholic New York" publication and its editor, which published Zwilling’s comments.
"We have evidence that this man is innocent. The accuser admitted it," said Mandt. "We’re not asking for the benefit of the doubt. … We’re asking for justice. Give an innocent man justice." Kavanaugh’s attorneys claim after a decade of being falsely scorned, he still wants his old job back.
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I'm fairly confident that "menoseeno" is going to wind up on the government's terrorist watch list soon. If he's hot there already. Scaring me dude. Sound like you're ready to hurt somebody.
There is a condemnation from the Apostle Paul about Christians taking other Christians to secular courts to settle disputes. 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. WE DO NOT DO IT! The United States Constitution was NOT the first document insisting upon the separation of Church and state! For the secular population, your views and opinions are valid and you have a right to those views and opinions. For those here claiming Christ...the Bible is clear. Each to his/her own conscience.
the Catholic church cannot admit fallacy, it would put their claim that the pope is the vicar of christ in even more doubt!
And there in is the one axiom that will ultimately bring down the Catholic Church. For Scripture to be fulfilled, and it will, is MUST fall. I can not understand why they can not see that. Thanks Lucas. There was a physician that wrote a large part of the NT named Luke you know.
It's about time and good luck Msgr.. Please note that Zwilling was/is only continuing the ongoing vindictive position of his former boss, Edward "Unholiness in Lies" Egan.
It may be wise to avoid priests altogether--don't trust one with your kids
I don't believe in everything that Catholics believe or practice. But if you're a Catholic priest, and you completely believe in their teachings, then how can you justify suing the church? If you win, aren't you taking money away from God?
What did it cost God to create everything? Now God needs money?
"There are some preachers on tv with a suite and a tie and a vest-
they ask you to send your money to the Lord, but give you their address"
Hank Williams Jr.
If this man knows that he is innocent, then he should be praying for the people that ruined his name, not trying to sue them. Forgive others because God first forgave you. Don't seek revenge against others, they will have to stand before God eventually and vengeance belongs to the Lord.
georgethetroll
"What did it cost God to create everything? Now God needs money?"
Of course God doesn't need money, but the church belongs to God. The money SHOULD be used to spread God's word, not fill the pockets of an angry priest.
Usually fills the pockets of happy, greedy priests.
Why does the Media continue to jump on stories like this..and yet the New Boy Scouts of America Pedolphile scandell
is being played down.. how many of you knew about it??? Why is the news MEDIA down playing it but goes after stories like this..
Pedophilia is not limited to a Church its is everywhere and the BOYS SCOUTS of America is another classic example.
Pedolphies who inflitrate ALL INSTITUTIONS are a small less than 1% of the That Institution yet the Media and un-informed Drag down the Whole Institution.
To Hide one story and focus on another of the same subject and magntiude seems to show this Media has a Prejudice against the Catholic Church.
All religion is the vomit of the world period.
Vomit still has some use. But I'm with you in sentiment..
Spot,you are right on target !!!!!!
I'm not surprised at this and my heart goes out to Father Kavanaugh. I hope he wins BIG...let them sell some of the gold they are hoarding in the Vatican, or some of the paintings and other art they own, to compensate him for this gross miscarriage of justice. I was raised Roman Catholic and I can attest that the "Catholic" will always be in me...but I will never, ever set foot in any church again for reasons other than weddings and funerals. Look back at the history of the church...the Crusades, where thousands of people were slaughtered in the name of God...or how about the Spanish Inquisition, perpetrated by the Catholic church in order to amass larger fortunes and more land. How about the Borgia family, one of whom was a Pope? The corruption has been there for centuries and it just gets worse and worse. I was privileged to visit Ireland last year and the friends I was traveling with were very big on churches, so they went to many of them. While looking at all the elaborate trimmings...painting, marble floors and columns, altars loaded with brass candlesticks and other accoutrements, I couldn't help but wonder why all this money was spent on furnishing the church, rather than feeding the people who were starving...both when the churches were built and now. I saw no beauty...I saw only greed and vanity and, after the first couple of churches, I waited outside for my friends, biting my tongue so I wouldn't say what I was thinking.
Oddly enough those Muslims who are rioting about the film should be referred to as "devout" rather than fanatics. How would the religious devotees here in the US feel if they were called "fanatics" rather than devotees? Just anouther reason why all religion should be kept out of politics. And be careful of those who think they have God in their pocket. They are the worst....
This typical of how our judicial system works. You are a priest? You are guilty, regardless of facts, the truth, the problem here is not the catholic church but the justicer system that made it so easy for "children" to sue priests. He should have sued the avenue used to convict him, not what the church said or not about his sexual abuses. In America, if you are priest, Muslim, Hispanics looking "illegal" then you are guilty, facts included or not and yet this same "judicial" system looks the other way of "looks forward" when it pertains to corrupt corporations, war criminals. It used to be, in the Nixon era, that ideology had no business in the justice system, but now, there seems that this "Christian and democratic" nation can do no wrong, even if guilty of war crimes, all the others need not apply, cause they are guilty even before trial. What a mockery, what injustice.
I have many thoughts about this story. The only one I am willing to share at this point is: Given the public accusation, by the officials of the Church and the public recantation of the accuser, after this priest's life and years of service to holy "Mother" the Church, why would this priest have to "SUE" the Church. Falsely and publicly accused and publicly stripped of his life, wouldn't one assume that it would have been the Church that would have taken the initiative to restore this man by publicly apologizing, publicly announcing the recantation of the accuser, and publicly restoring him. Does the mother have no compassion for her son? Or do those in charge fail to understand the term "mother"?
Guilty as charged! Your all a bunch of sex craved perverts!
Why anybody would let a priest anywhere near their kids boggles my mind.It's just a cult of perverts!!!!!!!!
Why isn't his accuser being held accountable for false accusations? His statement was , oh well, at least I said I was sorry.......... not quite enough when you ruin someones entire life. It's sad that the church wont back him when he is innocent. I feel bad for this priest. The church as well as this accuser should pay.
I'd like to know more about how the accusations came about. Just because accusations may be later recanted, it doesn't mean they were actually false. People are pressured to drop charges all the time.
Monsignor Charles Kavanaugh is a fine priest and friend to thousands all over the New York area and around the world. Anyone who has ever met Charlie Kavanaugh will readily attest to the man's great spirituality, leadership and grace. He was unjustly accused, subjected to a closed and long-delayed proceeding, and then defrocked after a life of service to the Archdiocese of New York, to the Catholic Church and to many others not connected to the Church. A strong community leader and a great guy booted out for purely political reasons. Go after 'em Charlie!
In the last few minutes, I have read this article with interest. I have also read nearly every comment. Form all of these wrods written, I do have several statements that need posting:
1. Those who are students of God's Word (Bible) know that we all make up the church. Man created the religious sections of the church. Right wrong or indifferent, the fact is that we all make up the church which will be the bride of Jesus Christ in his second coming.
2. The Roman Catholic Church dates back to the Apostle Peter (depending on which authority you read). Jesus called Peter the Rock inwhich He will build His Church. The thousands of rules handed down by the Roman Catholic Church are, for the most part, made by man. This is very similar to the laws imposed by the Synagogue and religious leaders of the Jewish faith of old. These men added hundreds of laws to the original laws presented by Moses. Why, for the benfit of man and not to advance the message of God's love.
3. If you have ever been the victim of sexual abuse (whether as a child or as an adult) it is one thing that you will never forget. There is no amount of money in the world that will make you forget the violation that took place on your body. The one and only true peace that you will ever be able to have from such an horrific even is to find forgiveness for yourself and for your attacker through Jesus Christ.
4. It is a given that those who do not believe in God will have a field day attacking my comments. I will tell you that you can attack away. It will be nothing more than bug that flys about my face compared to the insult that I had to live until I found my true peace.
5. If this preist is guilty he will have to answer to God. If he is not guilty, he needs to remember that our Lord and Savior was put to death in a very brutal way on a cross for no reason other than he preached a different way than the religious leaders of the time wanted to have happen.
Thank all of you and God bless you.
this whole thing simply bogs my mind; but one thing is clear here that the bible talked about in the parable of the sower. What I see is tricks of satan being at play and the world will never be the same since the devil was cast out the heavenly realm. J feel sorry for the priest and how I pray that the good Lord will grant him mercy and find him the best solution out of it although more need to be known as what really happened remember what could be of legally acceptable might not be morally acceptable in most cases. God knows the truth and has the best answer to this situation